Easter events cancelled in Syria after violence against Christians

Christians in Syria have been forced to cancel Easter events this 12 months following an outbreak of sectarian violence over the weekend.

The trouble began within the town of Suqaylabiyah, allegedly when two Muslim men from a close-by town began harassing Christian women. When the Christian men took exception to this and ran them out of town, they got here back with dozens of men on motorcycles and a few with guns.

The violent mob then reportedly destroyed a neighborhood shrine to Mary and attacked shops, houses and cars. Some members of the safety services are alleged to have been involved within the attack.

The current government of Syria, despite being dominated by an al-Qaeda offshoot, has pledged to respect the rights of minorities within the country. However, as a consequence of the plethora of armed groups in a rustic that has suffered over a decade of civil war, it has struggled to make good on that promise.

On this occasion, government forces successfully intervened and thwarted further attempts by the mob to attack the town.

However, in consequence of the violence, the Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox churches have all confirmed that their planned Easter celebrations will not be happening.

In a press release Syrian Christians for Peace, said, “We call upon Syrians from all components [religious and ethnic groups] to stay united and reject sectarianism and division, and we call upon the Syrian government to launch a serious national dialogue initiative and speed up the accountability and transitional justice process.

“We also encourage the Syrian authorities to issue the vital legislations to criminalise sectarianism and hate speech.”

The wider conflict within the Middle East has led to the cancellation of Easter events in Israel, where Christians have been placed under more stringent restrictions by the Israeli government.

Mervyn Thomas, founder president of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, condemned the violence. 

“We encourage the Syrian authorities to extend their efforts to combat extremism and hate speech, and hold all involved within the attacks on Suqaylabiyah, especially those inside its ranks, to account,” he said.

“We also urge the international community to call on the Syrian government to fulfil its obligation to guard all residents, and produce measurable improvements in human rights.”